Apparatus for playing skittles



.ll. KAU'TH APPARATUSHFOR PLAYING SKITTLES Filed Dec. 23, 1927 a in which a ilrame-shaped vertical ll atenterll ldept.

.lller Application filed December 23, 195312", serial No. 24253419. and in Germany February 1, 192?.

'lhis invention relates to an apparatus :l'or playing a game of skittles by means of a suspended ball.

ilrccording to the ii'lvention the vertii holding system carrying the skittles is s: is pended so that it can be oscillated in a direction perpendicular to the penduling movement of the ball.

An en'ibodiment oi' the im'ention is illustrated, by way 01? example, in the accompany ing drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in :liront clevation.

Fig. 2 is a side-elevation, partly in crosssection.

Fig. 3 shows in elevation, the clockwork.

4 is a top plan view of Fig. I

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate sus iiending devices for the ball when this ball designed to strike the skittles only at its backward oscillation.

The apparatus is mounted on a base plate support Z) is rotatably mounted by means oi a pivotpin 0 so that this support can be rotated or adjusted to be brought to in front of each player of a number of players sitting around a table.

lln the upper end 01' the vertical support 7) a horizontalarm (Z is fixed, to the free end of which a pendulum a carrying a ball 7 is hingedly connected.

In the upper surlace Oil arm (Z cavities g are provided with which engage pointed screws 72, which carry the system on which the skittles 2' are mounted and which is constructed like a swing. as this system is sup ported only at two points the supportin surface or friction surface is as small as possible.

The pointed screws 72 are screwed through a rocking beam is from which laterally inclined arms on extend downward to the lower ends of which a holder Z oi curved cross sec tion is fixed. The skittles i are hingedly mounted on the holder Z so that a skittle which has been struck by the ball :lalls over into a downwardly inclined position.

Instead of skittles any other figures n'iight be, used and mounted on the holder Z.

In the construction shown the ball is moved perpendicular to the direction in which the swing or skittle-holder moves.

The swingsystem Z2, Z, 712. is operated by a clockwork n of the kind used in pendulum clocks in order to ensure a uniform movement of the skittles. The swing is connected with the clockwork by means oi a pin 0 lined in the rocking beam 6 and engaging with a slot in the pallets p. 'llhe iiieiululum move ment is trzmsinittedupon the swing by the pallets 1: eng "ring with the balance-wheel. l or regulating the nui'nber oi oscillations of the swin a comiter-weight a is arranged on the rocking beam 7c.

lo the apparatus shown by way of example the skittles if can be struck by the ball while the swing is os(':illating to and fro. The apparat s might however be arranged so that the skittles are struck by the ball 7 only when this ball is swinging lgiackward the ball moving at the forward oscillation above the heads of the skittles.

in this il'orln o'l construction the struck skittles drop only towards the players.

v With this object in pended as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. On the horizontal arm a vertical element a carry ing the ball and having a vertical slot 25' loosely mounted. The element a and. with the same the ball 7'' are held in the position of rest by a bolt 1) engaging with a curved extension at the lower end oi? slot t (Fig. 5). 'llhe element u might be held in the position of rest by means of a latch m (Fig. 6) bearing on the pin 1) which engages with the lower end of a straight slot Z.

W hen the ball is being pushed, the element M will strike against an abutment-pin 3/ and is then raised so that the pin 11 gets out/of the curved extension w of slot 6, or the pivotally mounted latch :11 oscillates and liberates the bolt 21. The element a will then drop on the pin 41 oil the length oi slot 25' so that the hall f, which in the position of rest was sl'ai'iding a certain distance above the heads oil the ski ttles, can vike against a skittle at the backward oscillation. i

I claim 1- l. [an apparatus for playing at skittles, comprising in combination with a base plate, a vertical il raine-shaped support rotatably mounted on said lnise plate. a horizontal arm fixed in said support. a ball suspended pendulun1like in the trout end of said horizontal arm, and a swing-like holder for the skittles Ofi-ICllliLlilllg' perpendicularly to the swinging movement of said ball.

2. An apparatus as specified in claim 1, comprising a clockwork for mechanically oscillating said swing-like skittle holder.

3. An apparatus as specified in claim 1. comprising in combination with a horizontal view the ball is susarm and a swing-like skittle holder, pointed screws supporting said skittle holder system on said horizontal arm.

4. An apparatus as specified in claim 1 comprising in combination with the swing;- like skittle holder system, a counterweight for regulating the oscillations of said holder 7 system.

5. An apparatus as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the swing like holder system, skittles hingedly mounted on saidholder so that the skittles struck by the ball drop forward, 7

6. An apparatus as specified in claim 1 comprising in combination with the swinglike holder system, skittles hingedly mounted on said holder so that the skittles struck by the ball drop backward.

7 In an apparatus as specified in claim 1, the pendulum-like ball, and means for looking said pendulum-ball in the position of rest at a' certain distance above the heads of the 'skittle, to make the same automatically drop when the ball is being swung.

S. In an apparatus as speciiied in claim .1, in combination with the support and the hori- Zontal arm in said support, a pemlulum-balh an element movably mounted on the front end of said horizontal arm and having a vertical slot curved inward and upward at the lower end, a pin lined in said horizontal arm engaging with said. slot. a vertical rod i'ixed. on the lower end of said element, and a ball fixed on the lower end of said rod so that when said ball is in the position of rest said curved lower end of said slot of said UilllHllL engages over said pin so that the element and through the same said ball is held in raised position and is automatically lowered when it is swung back as said element slips on said pin.

9. An apparatus as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the base plate, a pivot pin in said base plate, and a vertical frame like support adapted to rotate around said pivot pin.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

JULIUS KRAU'll-I. 

